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Basically doing whatever it takes to get the job done. You'd think you might find a lunch pail and hard hat if he looked in his dressing-room stall.

Sutherby, 30, is more than happy to drop the mitts when the situation arises, as shown Thursday night when Sutherby fought Pierre-Cedric Labrie of the Syracuse Crunch after the former Manitoba Moose winger bumped into the St. John's IceCaps goalie during a pre-season game at the Pepsi Centre.

"Those are the things that I've got to do and things that are a part of my game — I expect myself to do those things," said Sutherby, a veteran of 460 NHL games who is in IceCaps camp on a pro tryout offer and trying to gain full-time employment. "It was fun to get back out there and compete, get in the dirty areas, get a feel for getting bumped. It's good to work on that and try to get the timing back. Obviously, it was a little rusty, I haven't played for a while."

There was a time not long ago when Sutherby wondered when he might play again. During his last NHL season with the Dallas Stars in 2010-11, Sutherby was dealing with back issues that hindered his play and eventually required surgery.

Unable to secure an NHL deal once he recovered, Sutherby signed an AHL deal with the San Antonio Rampage in late October and appeared in 15 games. Although it literally pained him to do so, Sutherby took the rest of the year off to get healthy.

"It was, by far, the best thing for me," said Sutherby, who was originally chosen 26th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. "I came back way too soon. In hindsight, there's a lot of things I wish I could have done a little differently, but that's in the past."

Sutherby is the type of guy you notice on the ice and the veteran knows exactly what's required of him as he tries to win a roster spot.

"You see his experience on the ice, with him being in the right areas," said IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge. "A polished veteran is what I see on and off the ice from him."

While Sutherby's primary focus is to nail down a job with the IceCaps, the elements he brings to the table could eventually translate into an opportunity with the Jets.

"I'm worried about right now. There's not a lot of jobs out there. This is where I need to be and I'm excited to be here," said Sutherby. "If I'm healthy, I feel like I can still play at the NHL-level and I can play a third-or-fourth line role."